Wireless Carriers Agree to Unlock Cellphones

12/12/2013 4:03PM

The major wireless carriers and the Federal Communications Commission announced a voluntary agreement on Thursday that will allow consumers to unlock their cellphones and continue using them when they switch providers. Peter Landers reports. Photo: Getty Images.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the the ... your wireless carriers in the FCC reach agreement this afternoon to allow consumers to love this that and and and sneezing and even when they speak for my ... don't make it easier to switch plans in the context of that joining us now with the many thousands last regional news editor Peter Landers ... at peter ... I Syria ... since the steelmaking ... make it easier for consumers ... well she was already have some ability with several carriers to ... use a cell phone after their contract is up and bring that cellphone to a new ... wireless carrier and basically what the carrier is on the FCC year agreed to do today is to come by that ... and say that's gonna be a permanent feature of the of the cellphone plans then ... point your contract is up you can take your phone ... and bring it to another carrier ... if it works with at other carriers that were ... I it's the kind of hassle for people up in town and the last thing you wanted you have to buy a new found that one works just fine ... exactly that's that's what a lot of people like to do and still are going to be some technical barriers ... there isn't much of the secondary market for phones are usually when users sinister ... your phone contact you get a new on them and that's actually what they have a compelling the sales of the ... of Ali's new I Phones fuel farewells in a new found ... in a new contract and there isn't much of the secondary market that point was made by ... T Mobile today so there's still some developments to make this ... really worked well for consumers ... I ... this agreement you are the carriers entered ball ... protecting a Verizon eighteen T that T Mobile's friends ... a USL year the top five carriers and in the U S are all ... agreed to do this and I think they're doing so because they don't want any FCC regulation as a voluntary agreement but ... by doing so they present the government from intervening in this question ... well yes the taping but in the starting with this note that you have to wait until the year contract is that Sydney and you sign a two-year prevailing eighteen T ... I like your phone difference in the new everyone ... the strategy there Suntech radicals out there who think down liao information should be free cellphones to the free that they don't like these that ... these lock in contracts perhaps ... but the context typically do give you a great deal on the phone upfront and then you pay for it over the life of a two-year ... contract and there's a big ... debt ... cancellation fee if you want and that early ... and that what what is not included today is the ability to break the contract without any consequences that's ... not gonna happen according to today's agreement with anything I might not work exactly as planned when TD Lovelock airfare entrance experience ... right that's the point that the carriers are making is that maybe you can make voice calls with the new carrier but you can't use a data plan ... and so you really have to check I guess with your carrier and see ... if I bring the cellphone says friends are at the T Mobile to I still use their or is it not gonna work on your network ... imagine a